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Indiana · County tornado history

Newton County, Indiana tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 22 tornadoes in Newton County, Indiana from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.4 years. That ranks it 45 of 92 counties in Indiana with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on July 28, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
22
Since 2000
12
Strongest
F4, April 17, 1963
Most recent
EF0, July 28, 2023
Peak month
May (9)
Per 1,000 sq mi
54
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Newton County

May has brought the most, 9 of 22. About 64% touched down between 12 pm and 6 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 10
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 5
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 3
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 1

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Newton County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 17, 1963 F4 57.3 mi 130 yd 1 70
March 12, 1976 F3 38.5 mi 250 yd 1 15
April 23, 1961 F3 51.7 mi 10 yd 4
April 30, 1962 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 5
July 6, 1987 F2 0.9 mi 250 yd 3
May 25, 2011 EF2 1.9 mi 300 yd
May 31, 1954 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd 1
May 27, 1954 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd
April 6, 1972 F1 11.2 mi 30 yd
March 12, 1976 F1 17.3 mi 80 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Newton County was an F4 on April 17, 1963. It killed 1 person and injured 70 along its 57.3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
July 28, 2023 EF0 0.6 mi 30 yd
July 28, 2023 EF0 1.2 mi 20 yd
August 10, 2020 EF0 0.9 mi 40 yd
August 26, 2019 EF-U 0.4 mi 50 yd
May 27, 2018 EF0 0.1 mi 25 yd
November 17, 2013 EF1 5.5 mi 100 yd
July 23, 2011 EF0 0.2 mi 10 yd
May 25, 2011 EF2 1.9 mi 300 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Newton County as relatively low, with a score of 33 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.32 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $658,169 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Newton County had?

22 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 12 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Newton County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on July 28, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Newton County?

An F4 on April 17, 1963, with a 57.3-mile path.

When is tornado season in Newton County?

May has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.